Hi there!

I’m a week late getting this edition of the newsletter to you.

Last Monday, I planned to schedule this newsletter so it could zoom into your email inbox right before a #ContentChat conversation with my friend Jason Schemmel on his day-to-day AI use cases.

Instead, I spent most of the day in bed, still getting over whatever crud my partner brought home from his job as an elementary school nurse.

Yes, it upends my editorial calendar to send our newsletter out a week late. But it also meant I wasn’t writing and responding to you in a cold medicine haze.

No matter how well you plan—and how far ahead you plan—things can come up that cause you to push pause on your scheduled content.

But that doesn’t mean that having an editorial calendar is a waste of time.

From some of the conversations I’ve had over the years, some content marketers seem to view an editorial calendar as a two-ton anchor that holds them in place as the world passes them by.

“Who knows what could happen more than a week in advance?” they ask. “But, I need to be able to adapt to changes in the market!” they exclaim.

I get it. I really do.

But here’s the thing: the community you cultivate through your content marketing likes to know what to expect from you.

When you’ve put the time into creating a comprehensive content strategy that reflects who your content is serving and how you plan to help them, your resulting editorial calendar will reflect that.

You will have already decided upon the right channels and content types to reach your people. The editorial calendar is your way of ensuring you touch on each of your themes and spread around those content types so you reach everyone regularly.

Nothing about putting that editorial calendar “in writing” prevents you from addressing a last-minute event, a timely conversation, or a new product innovation.

That’s why, when someone tells me that they can’t possibly create a content calendar, I always ask them if they have a documented content strategy. And guess what? The answer I get most often in reply is “well, sort of…” (SPOILER ALERT: that answer is actually no, they don’t have a documented content strategy)

It’s OK to have your content strategy in progress. It’s OK to consider even a documented content strategy with organizational buy-in to be perpetually a work in progress, updated whenever your data shifts.

But the thing is, having a general idea in your head of the content you plan to create is not the same thing as a content strategy.

A content strategy is a document that everyone in the organization can use as a touchstone to align their own content and business efforts with your content marketing program—without having to invite you to a meeting or send you a Slack message.

A documented strategy gives you a guidepost to use to prioritize your activities and measure the success of your efforts. It’s the critical first step in your content team’s journey toward becoming a strategic business initiative. Without one, you’re engaging in random acts of content.

I’ll be going into this in a lot more depth with my friends and CAOS collaborators Carmen Hill and Pamela Muldoon. Stay tuned!

Coming Up on #ContentChat

Content Chat is my weekly LinkedIn Live video chat focused on sharing expertise and ideas amongst the content marketing community. Join the conversation on Mondays at noon Pacific / 3 p.m. Eastern. RSVP for our upcoming conversations by clicking the chat date below to get a reminder and to access the chat.

• ​TODAY, on #ContentChat, Andy Crestodina is in the hot seat to discuss the value of including visuals in your content marketing. We’ll explore how visuals complement your content and extend its value across channels, including tips for creating engaging graphics that reinforce your branding.
• ​Next Monday (Sept. 30), on #ContentChat, I will be joined by Michelle Ngome, outreach director for Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses, to talk about how content marketing helps businesses of all sizes scale. She’ll discuss the top areas entrepreneurs should prioritize to sustain their growth, and we’ll explore how to make strategic content investments that fuel ongoing success.

Get Involved with #ContentChat

• Do you have questions you’d like us to answer during #ContentChat?
  ​Reply to this email or join us on Mondays to ask them live!
• #ContentChat is now on Meetup!
  ​Join our community Meetup page to connect, learn, and share best practices in content strategy, management, and marketing with fellow #ContentChat members.
• ​Want #ContentChat on your calendar?
  ​Use this link to follow our calendar so you never miss a chat.
• We're booking guests for H2 2024—send us your pitch!
  ​Are you a content marketing practitioner, author, or consultant interested in being a guest for an upcoming edition of #ContentChat? We’d love to hear your topic pitch via our Content Chat guest submission form​

Content Marketing + Related Jobs

​Senior Content Marketing Manager, Medely.
​Medley is a Series C startup that provides an on-demand marketplace and workforce management tools for healthcare organizations. The company is hiring a senior content marketing manager to develop and own the content marketing strategy and manage a team of external writers, SEO vendors, designers, and video producers. The role also involves managing Medely’s social media coordinator for B2B and B2C efforts and a roster of healthcare influencers. This role is remote.

​Director, Content Marketing, MasterClass.
​MasterClass is a popular online learning platform that offers video lessons from experts across fields—like learning from Anna Wintour on leadership or Martha Stewart on being an entrepreneur. The MasterClass team is looking for a director of content marketing to helm the strategic vision and execution of compelling marketing campaigns that drive sign-ups and viewership. Responsibilities include leading a team to execute multi-channel campaigns and collaborating closely with talent and content teams to influence the selection of instructors and topics. This hybrid role is based in Los Angeles. Otherwise, you can bet I'd be pitching them on letting me take them on as a fractional client!

​Senior Content Marketing Manager, Socure.
​Socure is a leading provider of digital identity verification and fraud prevention solutions. Its team seeks a senior content marketing manager to help drive demand gen, education, and awareness across channels for Socure’s suite of solutions. The individual will build customer-centric messaging and B2B content assets in partnership with the Director of Content Marketing and Strategy and the wider marketing team. This role is remote.

​Content Marketing Lead, Breef.
​Breef credits itself as the world’s first agency marketplace, connecting leading brands with leading agencies for all their digital and creative needs. The brand seeks a content marketing lead who will direct and implement a comprehensive content strategy to support its product, mission, and overall awareness. The role includes partnering closely with Breef’s founder and designers on overall brand direction and presence, and the individual will manage and write all briefs for various content needs. This role is remote or can be based in Denver, CO.

​Content Marketing Manager, Fusion Worldwide.
​Fusion Worldwide provides sourcing and supply chain operations solutions for companies to access electronic components. Having launched a new global rebrand and website, its team seeks a seasoned brand storyteller to revamp its content marketing strategy that supports translation/localization/transcreation. This in-person role is based in Boston.

​Head of Content Marketing, Thriveworks.
​Thriveworks is one of the leading mental healthcare companies in the U.S., founded and led by clinicians with more than 2,800 employees. The company is hiring a head of content marketing who will be responsible for shaping and executing a content vision that drives brand awareness, client engagement, and thought leadership within the mental health industry. The individual will oversee all content initiatives across channels and build and manage a high-performing team of writers, editors, designers, and freelancers. This role is remote.

Let Us Help You Fill Your Content Roles!

If you have a content marketing contract position, full-time job, or freelancer opportunity, reply to this email and let us know. We are always happy to share jobs with the community at no cost.

ICYMI

​The Anatomy of an Interactive Quiz: Crafting Engaging Content Marketing.
​Interactive quizzes can give your content marketing program a much-needed lift—but don’t just take my word for it. My good friend Maureen Jann explains why you should add quizzes to your content mix and shares a ton of practical tips based on her work creating several highly successful quizzes.

​Fractional Freedom and Finding the Right Thought Leaders.
​I recently sat down with Managing Editor Magazine to explain what services a Fractional Head of Content can provide and how they help companies get started with content without making a full-time commitment. Take a look if you’re interested in learning more about how hiring a fractional content leader can help kickstart your content effort or mentor and upskill your existing content team. And if your organization is seeking fractional support—let me know! I have an open slot for a fractional head of content role, and I’d love to see if I can be a fit.

​MAICON Highlights: Determining the Role of AI in Marketing.
​My FOMO was in full swing as many of my friends and AI visionaries gathered in Cleveland for MAICON. This article from CMI shares Robert Rose’s take on the role of AI in marketing, giving a glimpse of the juicy conversations from the event. Listen or read his full thoughts—I couldn’t agree more that AI is an assistive innovation to human creation, not the other way around.

​The Content Revolution: Content as a Driver for Business and Social Impact.
​Content marketing doesn’t have to just be a cost center—it can become an innovation engine for your business and even its own profit center. In this #ContentChat recap, I was joined by content marketing leader Carlos Abler to expand upon that perspective and talk about how to spark a content revolution in your organization. We discussed a wide range of high-value content programs that drove meaningful business results and social impact.

​3 Ways You Are Setting Your New Marketing Hire Up to Fail.
​So many resources go into the hiring process, yet organizations commonly rush through onboarding (or fail to plan for it altogether), which can destroy any goodwill built during interviews. In my recent post, I share three ways teams set their new marketing hires up to fail and what to do instead.

​3 Sound Ideas for Building Audio Into Your Content Strategy.
​Audio content can be so powerful for adding emotion to your content and connecting with your communities in ways that written words simply can’t. In this Content Marketing Institute article, Dawn Papandrea explains how to extend your brand through audio, including whether it’s the right move to start a podcast.

​B2B Influencers & Influencing.
​B2B influencer marketing is still on the rise, with plenty of great opportunities for influencer events and co-marketing. This LinkedIn Pulse article from SHIFT Communications is a quick read that explores howB2B companies are currently partnering with influencers successfully and why it’s a smart strategy.

​21 FAQs on B2B Influencer Marketing.
​This is a great introduction to B2B influencer marketing. I have a client who is just getting started with their influencer program and had most of these questions when we kicked things off. This is a great read for any content leader who is looking to add B2B influencer collaboration to their 2025 content plan.

Until next time, stay safe and be well!

Cheers,

Erika

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​Erika Heald, Founder & Chief Content Officer​
​Erika Heald Marketing Consulting​
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LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/erikaheald​
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/misserikasf/
​Threads: @MisserikaSF​​
​YouTube: @ErikaHeald​